SHOCKED manager Paul Ince is on hospital watch this week as he monitors the progress of two of the three young Macclesfield players injured at Stockport on Saturday.

Andrew Teague and Jonathan Brain are still in Stepping Hill hospital after breaking legs in a 75th-minute collision while on-loan winger Simon Wiles could also be out for the season after damaging cruciate ligaments.

"It's the worst incident I have seen in football," said Ince, who admitted to having a lump in his throat when he saw the extent of the trio's injuries.

"And it's the worst incident that my assistant Ray Mathias has ever seen, and he's been in the game a longer than I have.

"I don't mind saying that it made me feel quite emotional. They are three fine young players who were battling hard to earn Macc their first win."

Ince, who has visited both Brain and Teague in hospital, is planning to return to their bedsides during their recovery.

However he says his next job is to make sure his other players are ready to go for Saturday and the home FA Cup tie against Hartlepool.

Attention

"It's obviously affected everyone at the club," he said.

"Youngsters like Carl Regan and Jimmy McNulty who saw the full extent of the injuries on the pitch have been quite badly hit by it all and they will need some extra attention."

Ince added that 20-year-old centre-back Teague (broken fibula and tibia) and keeper Brain (broken tibia) would definitely be out for the rest of the season, but that a full prognosis concerning Wiles, who will be returning to Blackpool, would only be made later.

"Obviously a cruciate ligament injury is not good news, but I have told Simon that as soon as he is better we will be coming back to him and he will be welcome back at Macclesfield any time," Ince said.

For the moment Ince will have to settle with the players left at his disposal.

At least he will be able to call on loan keeper Asmir Begovic, who has been brought in from Portsmouth to cover for injured reserve Tommy Lee.

He added: "We will get up go and go again and will just have to wait for January."

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